Practice with Love
by Gyaradosmaster
Summary: FFIV2 is fast approaching and everyone's excited for it! Even Midori and Akane can't help, but get into practice mood. However, their practice is interrupted by Shindou and Kirino who want to join in. And we all know how Akane feels about Shindou... How will this work out? ShindouxAkane only!
1. Chapter 1

For those who are familiar with my work, as you can see, I'm not dead. I'll never understand why that's the first thing people think of when someone doesn't update in a really long while. Talk about negative…But f you're new to my work…I actually have nothing special to say to you. I'm sorry.

Ignoring that, I hope you enjoy this Fanfic! There's still not enough Shinkane here and this idea was just begging to be written. Yes, my ideas beg to be written and have individual thoughts, don't yours?

Doing it because it's tradition: I obviously don't own Inazuma Eleven, because let's be honest, I wouldn't be writing this if I would own it.

….

''All right everyone, that's enough for today!'' The enthusiastic voice of Endou rang over the field. It had been a normal training session for Raimon and it was getting little late so Endou thought that it was time to end already. He knew that the team could probably go on for longer, but he didn't want to take any chances with FFIV2 coming up.

''You were all great today!'' Aoi said as the team started to walk out of the field and to the bench to grab their water bottles to rehydrate themselves. ''Especially you Tenma. You were on fire today.'' She said as she handed the water bottle to the said boy who took it with a sheepish grin.

''Thank you. I just get fired up when I think of FFIV2 and all the great soccer that will be played there.''

''You aren't the only one, Captain.'' Tenma turned around to see Sangoku standing there with a smile on his face. Behind him were other members, who were also looking at his direction with small smiles. ''None of us can wait for it to begin and I don't think there's a single person on this field who doesn't dream of participating in it.'' This was followed by a few nods from some of the members and a smile from Tenma. He was about to respond to this when another voice picked up.

''Dreaming doesn't help when only 16 people are going to be selected. There's so many players to choose from and some are way better than us.'' Hayami said negatively. It wasn't unusual for Hayami to be negative, but he did bring up a good point. With only that many members and so many people to choose from, it was obvious that some were going to be outclassed by others. Even if Keshins weren't allowed, Keshin users were still top-class soccer players whose skills should not be underestimated

''Hayami-Senpai…'' Tenma muttered and was about to say something, but he was interrupted again, this time by a different person.

''But your soccer skills aren't the only thing that matters.'' Shindou said as he walked to the middle of the team, catching everyone's attention. ''Your passion and will to play great soccer should also be an important factor in choosing and even if you don't get chosen, you shouldn't feel let down. Instead, you should feel happy for those who are chosen and support the team to the best of your abilities. Besides, rules allow changes to the team between matches so just because you don't get initially chosen, doesn't mean that you won't be chosen later.'' Shindou finished with a small smile that seemed to calm the entire team at least a bit.

''Easy for you to say.'' Kurama muttered under his breath. He didn't doubt his own abilities as a soccer player, but there was no doubt in his mind that Shindou wouldn't be chosen. One could not simply ignore everything Shindou (and especially Tenma) had done to the Raimon Soccer Club and soccer world in general.

Through all of this, everyone seemed to miss a faint clicking noise and a soft giggle coming from nearby. Faint clicking came from a pink camera whenever it took a picture and the giggle came from the girl who was holding the said camera.

''Shin-Sama…'' Akane said dreamily as she hang on to every word he said about the upcoming tournament. This behavior wasn't unusual at all for Akane, but people very rarely paid attention to it. The only one who seemed to be aware of her behavior was Midori, who just sighed at her friend's antics.

''Seriously Akane. What Shindou said wasn't even that cool.'' Midori said, only to receive a glare from Akane. Not that it looked that intimidating since she was still clearly thinking about Shindou.

''I disagree. Shin-Sama says the smartest things.'' She said happily, before snapping another picture. Midori just shook her head and decided to drop the subject and bring up another instead. Arguing about Shindou was something she really didn't want to do with Akane.

''Hey, we're practicing after this, okay?'' Midori asked, wanting to make sure that their plans had stayed the same. To this, Akane gave a warm smile and a nod.

''Yes!''

,,,

''I can't wait to see the defense of world-class teams.'' Kirino said as he and Shindou left the clubhouse. At this point, most of the other team members had already left, either to rest at home or to practice just a little bit by themselves somewhere else. Shindou and Kirino had stayed behind for a bit to talk more about FFIV2 and other soccer-related subjects.

''Me neither. I wonder if Kami No Takuto Fire Illusion can break through the defense.'' Shindou wondered out loud. He didn't want to sound too worried, but it was obvious that Kirino had caught on.

''I wouldn't worry if I were you. Even if it doesn't work, you'll just figure out a new tactic with Tenma.'' Kirino said with a smile and while this made Shindou smile a bit as well, he also looked a little bit confused.

''You're sure that both me and Tenma make the cut?'' Shindou asked and Kirino answered back with a nod. Before he could further explain his answer, Shindou asked another question. ''What about you? Do you believe yourself that you can make the cut?''

Kirino was quiet for a moment, though whether it was because he was thinking or because he was unsure wasn't clear to Shindou.

''Who knows?'' Kirino said while looking over at the soccer field. Shindou was about to ask him to elaborate when he spoke up again. ''Hey, aren't those…'' At this, Shindou turned towards the field and looked towards where Kirino was pointing at. He saw two girls playing on the soccer field and on closer inspection, he recognized the girls as Midori and Akane, their managers.

''C'mon Akane, try harder.''

''O-Okay!''

''Are they playing?'' Shindou wondered and then he saw that Kirino was walking towards the field. ''Kirino? What are you doing?''

''Why don't we join them? It could be fun.'' He simply answered and continued his walk towards the field.

''I suppose you're right.'' Shindou said with a shrug and followed his best friend to the soccer field. As they walked closer, the girl's voices came clearer and they could hear every word they said. What caught Shindou's attention however, were the outfits. They obviously weren't playing in their normal clothes as playing soccer in a skirt wasn't exactly a smart idea. Instead, they were wearing replicas of Raimon outfits that you could buy from most clothing stores. Midori was wearing number 10 while Akane had number 9. At this point, Shindou just thought it was a coincidence.

''Hey girls. Can we join?'' Kirino asked as he walked to the field, clearly surprising the two girls who hadn't expected any company. Midori stopped the ball with her foot and used it to bounce it up to her hand.

''Oh, Kirino and Shindou. Hey.'' Midori said casually, while Akane breathed slowly and was feeling her nervousness rise.

''S-Shin-Sama.'' She said and luckily she had been quiet enough for Shindou not to hear her.

''Hey. So, can we join?'' Kirino asked again.

''Of course you…'' Midori was about to answer positively, but then Akane put her hand on her mouth and pulled her down with her so they were facing away from the two boys. Shindou and Kirino exchanged confused looks, both wondering what's going on.

''They can't! I…I don't want to play with them.'' Akane said nervously while blushing a little.

''You don't want to play with them or you don't want to play with Shindou?'' Midori asked and Akane just went quiet with that question, which was answer enough for Midori. ''C'mon, there's nothing to worry about. They're not going to laugh or judge you. They just want to play around a bit. Nothing too serious.'' Midori said with a comforting smile and while Akane was still nervous about playing with Shindou, she nodded anyway.

''Fine, but you'll do the talking.'' Akane said and Midori had no problem with this. The two straightened up and turned to face the two boys who still looked little confused.

''Everything okay?'' Kirino asked little concerned.

''Yeah, we just needed to clear something up. Anyway, you can join us if you like. It could be interesting.'' Midori said as she passed the ball to Kirino who took it easily. However, instead of giving Kirino time to pass to Shindou, Midori ran towards him, intending to take the ball back.

''Interesting. How long have you two played?'' Kirino asked as he kept control of the ball, struggling somewhat to stop Midori from getting it back

''Ever since our first year here, but it was just something we did for fun. Now with FFIV2 allowing girls to participate, we got fired up as well and started to practice even harder.'' Midori said, and bit her lip as she just barely missed the ball, allowing Kirino to keep it a little while longer.

''Really? Are you planning on participating?'' Kirino asked with genuine confusion. He didn't doubt the girls' soccer skills as Midori was keeping up with him rather well, but they would still need a team in order to be part of the qualifiers.

''Not this year, we don't have a full team yet. We're hoping that next year we would have managed to get enough girls to make a proper team. As of right now, it's just me and Akane with Aoi thinking about it.'' Midori said and then she saw an opening. _''It's mine!'' _She thought and went for it, managing to steal the ball from Kirino and end their scuffle. ''Akane!'' She wasn't planning on giving Kirino a chance to steal the ball back so he back-passed to Akane swiftly.

''Okay!'' Akane yelled back and caught the ball with her right foot. She wasn't sure what to do, but then she saw Shindou approaching and standing in front of her, preventing her from going forward. ''Shin-Sa…Shindou-Kun.'' Akane changed quickly, hoping that Shindou hadn't noticed her slip-up.

''So, what position are you?'' Shindou asked, apparently not having noticed anything wrong with what Akane said.

''Midori is a forward and I'm a midfielder. I would've been a defender, but I'm not good at stealing the ball.'' Akane explained, managing to calm down a little as Shindou was more focused on the game, rather than her.

Shindou would've asked her why, but decided that it wasn't important now. Instead, he focused his efforts in taking the ball away from Akane.

''_Okay, Shin-Sama's planning to take a ball away. In that case…'' _Akane thought and smiled a bit when she saw that Shindou was doing exactly what she thought he would. He was planning a feint so he could take the ball away, but…

''It's mine!'' Shindou yelled as he got in close, sure that he got the ball. Instead, Akane saw through his feint and got past him, immediately passing the ball back to Midori, leaving a confused Shindou behind. ''How…''

Midori took the ball, but instead of having another scuffle with Kirino, she trapped the ball under her right foot and stood triumphantly

''Hey Akane! How about we show these two our Hissatsu techniques?'' Midori asked confidently, surprising both boys and Akane a little.

''You two can do Hissatsu techniques? Really?'' Kirino asked surprised, before he realized how that sentence came out. ''Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I doubt your abilities.''

''It's okay, but Midori…are you sure?'' Akane asked nervously. Her Hissatsu Technique was…well, let's just say that the original user was present here as well.

''Don't worry Akane. It will be fine and I can start.'' Midori said and started to kick the ball to the center of the field. Once there, she faced the goal and smiled.

''A shoot Hissatsu?'' Kirino asked little intrigued.

''Of course. She does want to be the Ace Striker of the team after all.'' Akane said with a small smile.

Midori took in a deep breath before running fast ahead with the ball. She ran faster and faster as her ball kicking got more power to it, until Midori was sure that she was ready. She took one more big dash towards the ball and kicked it. ''Mach Wind!'' She yelled as the ball was surrounded by blue aura and a couple of strong wind currents. Due to the small distance of the striker and the goal, plus the speed of the shot, it reached the goal in a blink of an eye.

''That was great Midori!'' Akane yelled happily while holding her camera, having taken a picture of her shot. Both boys quickly glanced at the girl and the camera, both intrigued by the photos it could have inside, but then looked away. They were more intrigued by Midori knowing that shoot. Meanwhile, Midori walked to the goal and picked the ball up, before bouncing it around with her feet.

''When and how did you learn that?'' Shindou asked as Midori walked towards them confidently.

''Tenma helped me learn it. He helped with the basics and a little bit of technique until I got a hang of it. But enough about me. Akane, show them your Dribble Hissatsu.'' Midori said in an encouraging tone as she passed the ball to Akane, who, due to nervousness, fumbled a bit before getting the ball properly.

''A Dribble Hissatsu? Do you mind if I'll be your opponent?'' Shindou said and immediately, Akane's cheeks flushed pink.

''No!'' She yelled, perhaps a bit forcefully as Shindou was clearly taken aback by her outburst, as was Kirino and Midori. After realizing what she did, she blushed deeper and looked away from Shindou. ''Sorry. It's just that…Kirino-kun's a defender so I thought…maybe I could use it on him?'' Akane finished, although it sounded more like a question than a statement. Before Shindou could question her decision, another voice picked up.

''Sure, I don't mind.'' Kirino said as he walked towards the field. Akane let out a sigh of relief, but even still, she wasn't completely relieved. She wasn't really looking forward to Shindou discovering that she could use his Hissatsu Technique. Meanwhile, Shindou had started to think.

''_Why? Why did she react like that?'' _At this point in time, he couldn't place the reason for her acting. All he could do was watch and see what happens. _''And why did I feel a little bit...hurt?''_

''Are you ready Kirino-Kun?'' Akane asked as the two of them prepared themselves. They were standing close to each other and opposite of each other on the field, goals behind each player. Kirino stood up from checking that his shoelaces were tied correctly and gave Akane a smile and thumbs up.

''Ready!'' Kirino said enthusiastically, eager to find out what move Akane was going to use. Akane sighed deeply before opening her eyes _''Here goes!''_

She walked little closer to Kirino before she kicked the ball around her feet a couple times. At this, Shindou's eyes widened.

''Those movements…'' He said under his breath, but it was still loud enough for Midori to hear, who just smiled.

Meanwhile, Kirino had also realized what was going on, but it was too late. Akane had disappeared from his vision, but she soon appeared in front of him with a small smile on her face.

''Presto Turn!'' Akane yelled out as she passed by Kirino with speed that Kirino couldn't keep up with. As soon as she was past Kirino, she stopped and smiled to herself. ''I did it…''

''Great job Akane!'' Midori yelled, but then she noticed that Shindou had left from her side and was now walking towards Akane, but this did nothing to dampen Midori's mood. Actually, it made her a little bit happier. ''Great job Akane…'' She repeated, but this time in a quieter tone, still with a smile on her face.

''How did you…'' Kirino started to ask, but…

''How did you do that? I never taught you.'' Shindou asked and Akane wasn't sure whether he was impressed or angry with her, but one thing was for certain. She had Shindou's undivided attention and that both excited and terrified her. Kirino stayed behind, figuring that he should keep out of the conversation for now.

''I…well. Why is it a big deal? I mean, Aoyama-kun can use it too.'' Akane said, but that did nothing to change the situation.

''That's because I taught that move to him. I have helped him with it. You on the other hand, I have never taught. Granted, Presto Turn isn't particularly difficult move to pull off, but there's no way you could do it without at least little help from someone who can already use it.'' Shindou said and Akane couldn't help, but feel hurt by that. Midori seemed to notice the hurt look on Akane's face and had to stop herself from going up there and getting Shindou to shut up…and maybe punch him if needed.

At this point, Akane really had no other option than to tell the truth. She would just have to sugarcoat it a little bit. She knew what she does with Shindou could be considered…stalking and she didn't want Shindou to know that she did that. It would pretty much crush whatever small hopes she had of them ever developing a proper relationship.

''Well, I…I o-observed you.'' Akane said with a quiet voice, but it was loud enough for Shindou to hear it. He raised an eyebrow at this, beckoning her to continue. ''I took some pictures and video recordings, and learned from them.'' Akane said, although some was putting it mildly.

''I see.'' Was the only thing Shindou said and he went quiet. Akane wasn't sure on what to think of this silence. She couldn't even say if Shindou was sad or angry and she was usually good at picking up his emotions. Granted, he wasn't the best at hiding them, but that was beside the point. ''Akane.'' This made Akane jump, not having expected him to say her name out of the blue like that.

''Y-Yes?'' Akane said nervously, now blushing as Shindou stared at her. She wanted to look away so Shindou wouldn't see her blushing face, but she just couldn't. Shindou's eyes were just…mesmerizing to her.

''If you managed to learn that move by just observing me, I think you have what it takes to learn another move of mine.'' Shindou said, making Akane blush just a bit more. She couldn't believe the turn this conversation took. Just a while ago it sounded like he didn't believe in her abilities.

''T-Thank you, but I don't think I can learn Fortissimo. It's such a great kick and you look so great when you perform it and…'' Akane eventually shut herself up, already having said too much. Shindou didn't comment on this, even if the compliments did make him feel good.

''I wasn't talking about Fortissimo.'' Shindou said and then with a swift movement stole the ball from Akane. It was easy, since she hadn't expected it at all. Then Shindou turned back around to face Akane, beckoning her to steal the ball from him. She did as he wanted, but just as she was approaching Shindou, he closed his eyes and then put his hands up as if he was praying. This was followed by him starting to emit a shining aura and he put his hands back to his side. ''Olympus Harmony!'' Out of nowhere, a giant building appeared behind Shindou.

''Amazing…'' Akane said with her mouth open. She had only seen this move once before and to actually have it used against her felt like a huge privilege. She only regretted that she didn't have her camera on her right now, as she would've loved to take up-close shots of the move…and Shindou of course. _''He looks so great when he performs that.''_ She thought with a blush on her face, but it soon disappeared as she realized what Shindou was implying. ''Do you…'' Akane started to say, but before she could finish her sentence, Shindou nodded.

''Yes, I'm going to teach you how to perform Olympus Harmony.''

Kirino and Midori shared curious looks at this, both grinning a little.

''_This will be interesting.''_

…

And done! Well, the chapter is, not the story. I think this will be a three-shot…that really sounds stupid. It will be a three-parter. At least, that's the plan. It could be longer or it could be shorter!

Yes I know that me and my updates can and often are awful, but I really enjoyed writing this Fanfic and that usually means I update fast. Besides, the quicker this site gets more Shinkane, the better as far as I am concerned.

Anyway, Review if you liked, review if you didn't like! Also, review if you were indifferent. I…suppose that's possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Only two reviews…Not that I'm that surprised since ShindouxAkane is relatively rare pairing (and by that I mean that since it's not Yaoi, it's rare), so I'm satisfied with that. Only it's weird that one of them was in Spanish. To the one who sent that, I don't speak or know any Spanish and I have no idea why you thought I did. I had to use Google Translate to understand your review.

Anyway, now with that over, let's start the chapter shall we! I still don't own Inazuma Eleven and I still hope you enjoy!

….

''Me learn Olympus Harmony?'' Akane asked wide-eyed, not sure if Shindou was being serious or not. However, the look on Shindou's face was completely serious. ''B-But I can't! I mean, it must be a complicated move and I can't possibly pull it off as gracefully as you.'' Akane's voice got quieter as the sentence went on, making the last part nearly inaudible to Shindou. He still heard it, piquing his curiosity, but decided not to ask about it for now.

''The move isn't as complicated as it looks. You'll learn why as soon as we start training. Do you want to start right now?'' Shindou asked, not really minding either way.

''W-Well, I would like to talk with Midori first.'' Akane said and before Shindou could even comment about this, she had walked off towards the benches where Midori was…looking excited for some reason. Shindou stared after her for a moment, before walking over to where Kirino was standing. Then, he noticed the smirk on Kirino's face and sighed.

''It's not what you think.'' Shindou said immediately, knowing fully well what that smirk meant. Despite this, Kirino's expression didn't change.

''I didn't even say anything yet. What do you mean by it not being what I think?'' Kirino asked and Shindou could swear that his smirk got wider.

''You know fully well what I mean by that. Just because I want to train her, doesn't mean that I like her.''

''Shindou, we're Junior High students. I think we're over the 'slightest interaction means romantic interest' phase.'' Kirino said, but Shindou kept looking at him with a doubting look, causing him to sigh. ''Fine fine, I just thought it was interesting that you showed an interest in a girl for once. I just wanted to know why. You never pay attention to girls, even when they swoon over you.'' Kirino said, mentally adding that Akane really wasn't that different from those girls. Shindou was quiet for a moment, before answering.

''She could use a Hissatsu Technique. Those 'swooning girls' can't. Also, she doesn't annoy me by asking me for an autograph or kiss…or marriage proposal. It's as simple as that.'' Shindou said, but Kirino still looked doubtful.

''Really? No other reason whatsoever?'' Kirino asked, his voice getting a bit of a teasing tone in it, frustrating Shindou.

''Yes, there's nothing between me and Akane.'' Shindou almost yelled that, but he managed to keep his voice normal. After saying this, he started to walk off towards the soccer building.

''Where are you going?'' Kirino asked genuinely confused.

''To soccer building. We need our towels and water bottles after all.'' Shindou said and soon he was out of sight.

Kirino chuckled a bit to himself at this. ''I pushed him too far I guess. Well, little teasing never hurt anyone.''

Meanwhile, with Midori and Akane, as soon as Akane had reached Midori, she grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

''Congratulations Akane! Shindou noticed and acknowledged you!'' Midori said beaming, causing Akane's face to go red again. Before she could get a word in, Midori continued. ''And now he's going to train you! Isn't this amazing? Are you excited? You must be excited!'' Midori said, but Akane didn't share her excitement.

''I'm scared!'' Akane said, causing Midori to shut up and frown a bit.

''Scared? What is there to be scared about? You're just going to be alone with Shindou who will probably criticize you for every mistake and…'' Midori shut herself up when she saw the look on Akane's face. ''Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.''

''It's fine, you were right anyway. Shin-Sama is definitely going to keep a close eye on me when we practice and I'm afraid that I will just mess up and he'll laugh at me.'' Akane said, her voice going quieter while her eyes went downcast.

''Really? Do you really think that Shindou would laugh at you?'' Midori asked, but Akane didn't answer, she just kept on looking down. ''Besides, even if he does, I will walk up to him and punch him right in his laughing face.'' At this Akane grew alarmed, especially since Midori sounded almost excited at the prospect of punching Shindou.

''N-No! You can't punch Shin-Sama!'' Akane said while frantically waving her hands, which caused Midori to chuckle a bit.

''Don't worry, I won't do that.'' Midori said which made Akane sigh from relief. ''Maybe.'' Midori playfully grinned at Akane when she said this while Akane frowned a bit. Instead of saying something back, she walked to her camera and picked it back up. ''Akane I…''

''Sorry, I need to think for a bit.'' Akane then walked away from Midori and towards the far end of the pitch and took a picture of it. Then she walked to the other side and took another picture. Couple more steps and new picture and the cycle went on.

''She's actually taking pictures of something that isn't Shindou?'' Kirino said as she walked to Midori and as soon as he got next to her, Midori elbowed him to stomach. Kirino recoiled a bit at this and started holding his stomach. Before he could ask why, Midori spoke up.

''Akane takes pictures of everything when she wants to calm down, relax or just have time to herself. Or at least that's what she has told me. The point is that she doesn't just take pictures of Shindou.'' Midori said in a bit of an angry tone. Even if Kirino was kidding, that wasn't something that she thought should be joked about.

''I see. Sorry, it's just that, she does take a lot of pictures of Shindou.'' Kirino stated which made Midori sigh. He did have a point and she might have overreacted a bit.

''I know and I do think it's a bit excessive myself, but it's not like I can complain. It combines the three of her favorite things in the world, football, photography and Shindou.'' Midori explained and Kirino just nodded, deciding not to say anything to this in a fear that he would be hit again. The two were silent for a bit before Midori broke the silence. ''So, what did you and Shindou talk about?'' Midori asked curiously. She was sure that she had heard Akane's name in that conversation.

''I tried to ask Shindou why he wanted to teach Akane the move, but he said that he didn't like her that way and it looked like he wasn't lying.'' Kirino said with a sigh. He had been friends with Shindou for so long that he was sure that he could see when he was lying and in this case, he definitely wasn't.

''Well that doesn't really surprise me. Despite my encouragement, she still hasn't even tried to approach Shindou.'' Midori said and she could see that Kirino raised an eyebrow at this so she decided to elaborate. ''She's too shy to take an initiative. The only time I remember her talking to Shindou is when she gave him Nishiki's letter. Other than that, nothing. She seems perfectly content with just taking pictures of him and she doesn't even try to be or do anything more than that.'' Midori said with a sad sigh. Kirino looked up for a moment, clearly thinking about something.

''Maybe you just have to accept that and not try to push Akane into trying to be or do anything more than that.'' Kirino suggested. As much as he understood that Midori wanted to help, in the end it should be Akane's decision whether she wants to make a move or not.

This comment just made Midori sigh again. ''I know, but I don't think it's good for her to just…take pictures of him. At some point it stops being cute and starts being a bit creepy.''

''_Implying it isn't that already.'' _Kirino thought, not wanting to say that out loud in a fear of getting hit again. ''You'll just have to wait. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to try to push Shindou into noticing girls just for Akane.'' It's not that he had anything against them getting together, but trying to force a relationship never really worked out.

''I didn't expect you to.''

''I do want to know though, since when has Akane liked Shindou?'' Kirino asked curiously. He didn't need to know why as he had heard plenty of girls around the school list plenty of reasons why they like Shindou. Heck, sometimes they came talking to him, simply because he was Shindou's best friend.

''It was back when you guys were on the second team and Akane was in newspaper club. Since she was a newcomer and first-year student, she didn't get big assignments, but one day she was asked to report about a soccer match between our second team and Teikoku's second team.'' Midori explained and this made Kirino think again, clearly trying to recall such an event.

''I think I remember that. Since it was just a friendly and between second teams, Fifth Sector didn't assign a score for us. We could play true soccer to the best of our abilities.'' Kirino said with a smile. It was hard to think that year back Fifth Sector was still in full control and making sure that soccer was enjoyed equally.

''And that showed. I remember her afterwards going on and on about how Shin-Sama's soccer was the most majestic and graceful soccer she had ever seen.'' Midori said with a chuckle. Not much had changed about her attitude since then.

''In that case, why didn't she quit newspaper club right then and join as a manager? Why did she wait until the second year?'' Kirino asked, although he realized the answer soon after asking.

''Because she was too shy. She didn't want to join alone and I had no interest in joining and doing chores for the team. Sure Nishiki was there, but that wasn't big enough reason for me to join.'' As soon as she finished saying that, she saw Kirino opening his mouth. ''If you dare to say anything about mine and Nishiki's relationship, I will hit you again.'' Midori warned by raising her fist up.

''I wasn't going to say anything.'' Kirino said very quickly so Midori lowered her fist. ''But Tenma was big enough reason for you to join?'' Kirino said with a smirk while taking a step back, anticipating a punch that never came.

''I guess you could say that. He was very different from the start though, I could sense it.'' Midori said and Kirino had to agree with that. ''But we're not talking about him right now. Not much has changed about Akane since that match though. I think she pretty much likes Shindou just as much, if not more, as she did back then.'' Midori said and after that, the two were quiet for a moment, both looking at Akane who was still taking pictures of well…everything.

''Thank you for sharing all that. It's always nice to know more about my teammates.'' Kirino said and Midori looked at him strangely when he said that.

''Teammates?''

''Teammates, managers, same difference. Considering how much our team has gone through, I think it's appropriate to call you guys our teammates.'' Midori smiled a bit at this before looking at Akane again.

''Now if only Shindou paid more attention to this particular teammate…''

,,,,,

Meanwhile, Shindou was fast approaching the soccer building so he could get some towels and water bottles. The reason why he was walking fast was so he could get as quickly far away from the soccer field as possible. Kirino's questioning had really started to bother him. ''Why does he think I can't hang around with a girl without having an ulterior motive?'' Sure, he thought that Akane was little cute, but that meant nothing. Just because you think someone is cute, it doesn't mean that you necessarily like them. It would be ridiculous to think so.

It's not like he knew a lot about Akane anyway. She was a manager of their club so she must like soccer and he was sure that he had seen her take pictures sometimes so she must like photography as well. And that was about everything he knew about her. He had done a brief background check on each new member, including managers, to make sure that they weren't Seeds, but all he had checked back then were school records and it has been a while since then so at least some of the info is probably dated.

''Why am I even thinking about this? I'm just going to teach her a Hissatsu technique, not taking her on a date. Most likely I won't even talk to her again after this.'' Shindou said to himself again, missing the fact that his voice had gotten a bit of a sad tone when he said that. He then shook his head and looked up, seeing that he was already at the soccer building. ''Maybe I need to drink something and clear my head.'' Shindou then walked inside and walked to the room with the lockers where his and Kirino's towels (and drinks, but they weren't assigned to certain person) were. He had expected to be the done with it quickly, but when he opened the door, there was someone there.

''Shindou? What are you still doing here?'' Shindou saw that Coach Endou was in the room and from the looks of it, he was about to leave.

''I could ask you the same question Coach.''

''I was just making sure that nobody forgot anything. It happens to Tenma surprisingly often. Anyway, what are you still doing here? You didn't seem to forget anything.'' Endou asked and seeing that he had no other choice, Shindou decided to just tell him. It's not like he had to hide it anyway.

''Me and Kirino are practicing with Akane and Midori. I'm going to teach Akane how to do Olympus Harmony. I just came here to get towels and water bottles for us.'' Shindou explained as he opened up his and Kirino's lockers to get their towels.

''I see.'' Endou said with a smile and Shindou was pretty sure what that smile meant. He sighed before speaking up again.

''I'm not teaching it to her because I like her. I don't.'' Shindou said calmly, causing Endou to look at him confused.

''I wasn't implying that you did. Why would you think I would say that?'' Endou asked, not to tease him, but because he was genuinely confused again. Shindou cursed inwardly, realizing that if he hadn't brought the topic up, this conversation would be over, but now it was too late.

''It's just that Kirino brought it up, saying that I'm teaching the move to Akane because I like her. I guess I expected you to do the same.'' In hindsight, it was a silly expectation.

''Well, Kirino is your best friend and knows you the best. Maybe he saw something that you didn't?'' Endou questioned and this made Shindou go silent for a moment. ''Even if I had been there, I might not have seen whatever Kirino saw that made him think that you like Akane.''

''But I don't!'' Shindou said almost desperately and while Endou knew that he probably shouldn't pursue the topic much more, he still had to say something.

''Well that doesn't mean that your feelings can't change overtime. When I first met the girl that eventually became my wife, I didn't like her since she wanted to take down the club, but….'' Endou stopped explaining when he saw the absolutely shocked look on Shindou's face.

Shindou didn't know what shocked him more. The fact that their Coach was married or the fact that he was kind of implying that he and Akane would get married. '''You…you're married?!'' Clearly the former shocked him more. After hearing this, Endou scratched his neck embarrassed.

''Oh right, I never told you guys that did I? Only Tenma knew since he visited my house that one time. Yes, I'm married to Raimon Natsumi who, when we were your age, was very eager to tear down our club, but eventually she noticed how fun soccer could be and now we're married.'' Very abridged version about his and Natsumi's relationship, but he doubted that Shindou was in a mood to listen to something like longer right now.

''That's very nice and I'm happy for you, but what does that have to do with my situation? This is not the first time I met Akane.''

''No, but is it the first time you're spending time with her and learning about her?'' Endou asked and to this Shindou could only nod. ''In that case, maybe the reason why you don't have feelings for her is because you simply don't know enough about her?'' Shindou opened his mouth to say something, but then realized that Endou did have a point. ''The reason why I didn't like Natsumi at first was because I thought she simply wanted to destroy the club and that she had no positive feelings about soccer. However, the more I learnt about her and the more she learnt about soccer, the more I started to like her. Not that I actually realized that until I was older.'' Now Shindou was in even deeper thought than before so Endou decided to say one last thing. ''I'm not saying that you have feelings for Akane or that you even have to have feelings for her. I'm just saying that you shouldn't rule out the possibility or Kirino's assumption before you get to know her better. Soccer has strange way of bonding people after all.' Endou said with a small chuckle. He had seen that more than a few times.

Shindou had been quiet for a while, clearly thinking of something to say back to Endou, but eventually the only thing that he could say was this. ''Thank you.'' Endou raised an eyebrow at this; he didn't feel like he had done anything special. ''For this talk I mean. I never expected it from someone like you though.''

Endou wasn't sure was that a compliment or an insult, so he settled for confusion. ''What do you mean?'' Shindou really hoped that he wasn't going to insult him by saying this, but…

''Well, when most people think of Endou Mamoru, they probably think of soccer crazy guy who only thinks about soccer 24/7.'' Shindou said a bit uncomfortably, but instead of looking angry or insulted, Endou just laughed.

''Well, I suppose that was true at some point, but now I'm older and married. It changes people.'' Endou then looked at his watch and realized that he was running late. The talk with Shindou had taken longer than he expected. ''I really have to go now, I still have to run a few errands, but I'm glad I could help. Best of luck with training!'' Endou said as he walked to the door and then turned to face Shindou one more time. ''And with Akane.'' He said with a thumbs up before leaving the room completely, leaving Shindou alone. He smiled a bit to himself.

''Thank you Coach. I will try my best.''

,,,,,,

Meanwhile with Akane, Kirino and Midori, Akane had finally stopped taking pictures and had set her camera down on to the bench. Kirino and Midori had already stopped talking about Akane and Shindou's relationship which was good since they definitely didn't want Akane to overhear them talking about that.

''Where did Shin-Sa…I mean Shindou-Kun go?'' Akane fixed her little error quickly as she didn't want Kirino to hear what she called Shindou, but it was too late and it's not like Kirino didn't know.

''He went to get towels and water bottles for us. He should be back soon.'' Kirino explained and Akane nodded, a bit disappointed that they couldn't start training already. ''There's no point in calling him Shindou-Kun in front of me by the way. I know you call him Shin-Sama.'' Kirino said with a small chuckle and this made Akane blush and Midori a bit alarmed.

''Umm…Kirino?''

''R-Really?'' Akane asked a bit embarrassed. Maybe Midori had told him and it's not like it was that bad if just one guy…

''Sure, the entire team does, aside from Shindou.'' When he said this, Akane's face turned completely red and she started to fidget a bit.

''The…the entire team?'' Akane repeated quietly and nervously, this information catching her completely off-guard. She didn't know that she was that bad at hiding her feelings. Kirino was about to speak up again, but Midori interrupted him.

''You idiot! She didn't know that!'' Midori said, almost ready to punch him for telling that to her. She was already nervous enough as it was and there was no need to add more pressure by letting her know that practically everyone knew. Kirino had no idea what to say, he had thought that Akane knew this since it was so obvious.

'I'm…sorry?'' Kirino didn't mean for that to sound like a question, but it just did. It was such a strange thing to apologize about after all. Midori clenched and unclenched her fists multiple times, trying to decide what to do.

''It's okay Kirino-Kun. It wasn't your fault.'' To the surprise of both Midori and Kirino, it was Akane who spoke up. Her face was still red, but she didn't seem as nervous as few moments ago. ''Midori, you should have told me that so many people know.'' Akane said softly. She wasn't angry with her, but she would have liked to know this. Once Midori heard this, she unclenched her fists and sighed.

''I'm sorry Akane. I just didn't want to make you nervous.'' Well, more nervous, but there was no reason to tell that to her. ''Are you fine with that many people knowing?''

''It's….it's surprising and bit embarrassing for sure, but I think I will be okay. As long as no one tells Shin-Sama, it's fine.''

''No one, but you that is.'' Midori said with a grin and this made Akane blush again.

''W-Well…''

''I'm back!' Akane's attention was immediately taken by that voice she just loved that much and she turned around to see Shindou walking towards them while carrying four towels and a box with four water bottles. It seemed like he was able to get and carry everything. ''What were you guys talking about?'' He asked while setting down the items he had been carrying. When they heard his question, suddenly all three of them became very nervous.

''Nothing, nothing at all!'' Midori said while waving her arms. Kirino just smile a bit and walked up to Shindou.

''Never mind that. Maybe you and Akane should start training.'' Kirino said with a grin and this grin made Shindou think about what Endou said again. There was no point in being mad at Kirino for having this assumption.

''Sure, is that fine with you now Akane?'' Shindou asked as he turned his attention to the shy girl who got even more nervous when she looked right into Shindou's eyes.

''Y-Yes.'' She said in a soft tone, but it was still enough for Shindou to hear. Kirino threw a soccer ball to the both of them and they walked to the middle of the field while Kirino and Midori stayed at the sidelines. The training for Olympus Harmony could finally begin.

''First thing I have to make clear is what happens when you close your eyes during Olympus Harmony. There's a certain thing you have to think about.'' Shindou explained as he bounced the ball around with his feet.

''Certain…thing?'' Akane repeated. She had always thought that he was just focusing really hard, but clearly that wasn't a case.

''Yes, you have to think about something you love very much and something that is important to you. Do you have something like that?'' Shindou asked, since if she didn't, then that would make this very difficult. Akane gulped and nodded.

More like someone like that.

…

Yes, I'm ending it there. I know that the title has the word practice in it and there hasn't been much of actual practicing yet, but there will be in the next chapter! The reason I didn't add it to this one was because then this chapter would be too long. I mean, it's already over 4000 words!

Also, pretty much everything in this chapter is what I think about Shindou and Akane's relationship. Yes, I actually think that Shindou doesn't like her in that way, not without enough interaction that is. I like to establish and build on their relationship first, instead of just making Shindou like Akane for shipping reasons. Not saying there's anything wrong with that, but this is my way of doing things.

But yeah, that's pretty much all. I promise that the next update will come sooner and I'm really sorry that this one took so long. Anyway, Review if you liked, review if you didn't like!


	3. Chapter 3

…Yeah I can't think of anything clever to put here so let's just get to the actual story. Do I own Inazuma Eleven? No. Do I hope you enjoy? Yes!

…...

''You have to think about something you love and that is important to you? What a strange requirement.'' Midori said after hearing what Shindou had said. Not to mention that this would make training even more difficult for Akane than it already was. Not only would she have to pay attention to what Shindou says, she also has to think about him pretty much the entire time. Midori wasn't sure if she could stay fully focused while doing that.

''I agree. Hmm…'' Kirino looked to his left and saw another soccer ball there. He walked over to it and trapped it under his feet. Midori glanced at him quickly, but didn't say anything. Kirino closed his eyes and put his hands together. ''Olympus Harmony!'' He said while doing the exact same hand motions that Shindou did when he did the move. He opened his eyes couple seconds after and looked at Midori who was now looking right at him. ''Well, did it work?''

''Nope. No shiny buildings in sight.'' Midori said, making Kirino a bit confused. He was sure that he did everything right, yet nothing happened. ''What or who did you think about?'' Midori asked slightly curious. As far as she knew, there was no one Kirino was romantically interested in.

''I thought about soccer, what else?'' Kirino answered and Midori just laughed a bit. In hindsight, the answer had been obvious, but to think that he was actually thinking about soccer.

''Sometimes I wonder why some girls even like you guys. All you seem to think about is soccer.'' She said, making Kirino laugh a bit. It wasn't that far from the truth to be honest and for someone like Tenma it probably was pretty accurate. After he stopped laughing, Kirino looked serious again.

'Still, I wonder why that move didn't work. There must be something else to it than what he said. And I highly doubt that Shindou would have lied about this.'' Kirino said as he looked at Shindou and Akane again. While he did tease Shindou about liking Akane, he was pretty sure that he had no feelings for her or at least, have feelings that he was aware of. Thus, he had no reason to lie about this. Now, if Shindou had clear feelings for Akane, lying would make sense since he would want to know if there's someone Akane loves. But since he doesn't…

''Maybe Shindou isn't that sure about all the requirements of the move? Even Mach Wind is about more than just going really fast.'' Midori suggested and Kirino nodded in agreement, seeing it as a possible choice. After all, Hissatsu Techniques are always more complicated than they first seem. ''Speaking of which, how do you perform yours? You just create mist out of nowhere!'' Midori asked, causing Kirino to laugh again. Not because the question was funny or unwarranted, but because there are plenty of crazier moves that he had no idea how to pull off.

''It's a secret.''

Akane tried to calm her continuously beating heart, but she was sure that it was only getting faster and louder, to the point that she feared that Shindou would hear it, even though that was pretty much impossible. Still, she had other things to worry about than Shindou hearing her heartbeat. Namely, actually practicing with him. She had already been pretty nervous about having Shindou's undivided attention, but now she also had to think about him while doing the move? It would definitely be hard, no, impossible for her not to be nervous or distracted. She could only hope that the first attempt would be a success, but she highly doubted that. If the move would be that easy to pull off, there would be no reason for him to train her, would there? After all…

''…anyway, here's the ball Akane. Akane!'' Akane was pulled out of her thoughts when Shindou yelled her name, but by that point it was already too late. He had passed the ball to her, but she had realized it so late that she ended up missing the ball completely and almost tripped over her own feet. ''Were you paying attention?'' Shindou asked and Akane was glad that he didn't sound mad. He sounded amused than anything else.

''I…I...will get the ball.'' Akane decided it would be better if she wouldn't try to justify her zoning out and just go get the ball. At least she would be facing away from him so he wouldn't see her red face. _''This is off to a great start…'_

''Cute…'' Shindou said without even really thinking about it. ''She's so cute at times.'' Then Shindou realized what he had said and thought about it. He had already admitted to himself that he thought she was little cute and now he was just openly saying stuff like that? But, it's not like there was a big difference between little cute and so cute…right? It's…

''Umm…Shindou-Kun.'' He had barely heard Akane's voice, but she had been loud enough to cut off his train of thought. She had retrieved the soccer ball and it now rested couple inches from her feet. ''Were you thinking about something? You looked a bit…dazed.'' Akane asked concerned, hoping that there wasn't anything bothering him.

''It's nothing. Let's start practicing. Try to use Olympus Harmony on me.'' Shindou said and he walked away from Akane couple steps, before facing her again. ''Let's go!'' He yelled and started running towards her with moderate pace.

''R-Right!'' Akane said as she closed her eyes. She focused her thoughts on Shindou which honestly wasn't that difficult. She thought about what a wonderful person he was, how many amazing things he had done and… ''Olympus Harmony.'' While she was just so…ordinary and plain.

''Akane!'' Shindou yelling her name snapped her back to reality once again and once she opened her eyes, she saw that the ball was no longer by her feet and that Shindou was behind her with the ball. He looked at the ball briefly before passing it to Akane who took it without any trouble this time. ''Let's try that again.'' Shindou once again walked a couple steps away before turning around and running towards her. Akane barely had enough time to think about what she had done wrong, but she had an idea.

Akane closed her eyes again and this time thought about why she loved Shindou. He was a really talented soccer and piano player, such a kind, honest and wonderful person and of course his looks didn't hurt the deal any. ''Olympus Harmony.'' So he could have any girl he wanted, so why should he go for her…

''Akane!'' Once again, the ball was gone by the time Akane opened her eyes and Shindou was once again behind her, looking a bit more frustrated than last time. ''Let's try it again.'' And the process repeated.

It didn't matter what or how Akane thought about Shindou. Nothing would ever happen and every time she opened her eyes, the ball was with Shindou who had passed her. The building never appeared, there was no shining light and Shindou wasn't distracted. In other words, nothing was going right and Akane had no idea how to fix it. She knew she loved Shindou and he was very important to her so if those were the only requirements, it should work right? Yet, it wasn't.

''Akane…'' Shindou started and from the tone it was obvious that he was both frustrated and disappointed about what was happening. Before he could say anything however, Akane interrupted.

''I'm sorry Shindou-Kun.'' Akane said with a bow, taking Shindou aback a bit. There was no need to go that far. ''I promise I'm doing my best, but maybe the move is just too complicated or…'' Shindou decided to interrupt since he did not like where that was going.

''I believe you're trying your best, considering how much you're blushing.'' This comment only made her blushing worse and she looked away to at least partially hide it. ''But still, something must be off. So, I have to ask you this, who are you thinking about?'' Shindou figured that it couldn't be a what anymore as only who could cause that much blushing. At this question, Akane felt her face get even redder, to the point that she swore it shouldn't be humanly possible to blush as much as she does right now. Shindou noticed this of course, making him regret the question a bit. Maybe this was personal to her?

''I…I…'' She couldn't say she was thinking about him, she just couldn't! ''I'm thinking about a boy I love.'' Akane said, realizing that the answer didn't really tell anything. At this point, Shindou had probably guessed that much already.

''Oh…'' Was the only thing that Shindou said at first. As soon as he had heard that, he felt…anxious? He was definitely anxious about something, but what. Why would that response awake the feeling of anxiety in him? Of course he had an idea, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to accept it. ''I take it that you don't want to tell his name?'' Shindou asked and this was quickly followed by a nod, which made Shindou sigh. Not because he desperately wanted to know the boy's name, at least that's what he convinced himself, but because it would make fixing the problem harder. ''Well, you still need to tell me something about him. That might help solving why we're not having any progress with the move.''

Akane racked her brain for something to tell him, but couldn't come up with anything. Well, she could think of plenty of things, but they were all things that if she said them, Shindou would figure out that she was talking about him. And telling him that he was kind and honest probably wouldn't help much, if at all. ''Well…'' Akane sighed a bit, might as well as say it. ''He's out of my league.'' Shindou raised an eyebrow at this, having not expected her to say something so…negative, much less start with something so negative.

''Out of your league?'' Shindou repeated and Akane nodded, clearly looking sad. He hated to focus on this, but he had a feeling that this was the crux of their problem.

''Yes. He's a very amazing person and I just feel so…plain. I want to be together with him more than anything in the world, but…'' Akane stopped there, clearly not feeling that comfortable anymore. She looked away from Shindou so when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she was surprised and turned her head back around to see Shindou right in front of her. ''S-Shin-Sa…S-Shindou-Kun!'' Akane didn't know what to say or do. She hadn't expected Shindou to come this close to her and there was no way she couldn't blush now.

''You're crying.'' It was such a simple thing, yet Akane hadn't noticed it. Granted, she wasn't crying a lot, just a few tears had fallen, but it had definitely been noticeable. Akane moved her hand to wipe her tears, only for Shindou to stop her and do it himself, making Akane speechless. ''You don't have to be embarrassed about crying in public.'' Shindou said, obviously thinking that she was only so red because of embarrassment. Akane still didn't know what to say, so Shindou continued. 'Does the boy you love make you feel nervous?'' Unable to find her voice, Akane just nodded and let him continue on. ''How does he act around you?' He asked and as soon as he did, he regretted it since Akane looked sad again.

''I…haven't really talked to him much until recently.'' Very, very recently. ''So I don't really know, he's very kind at least.'' Akane managed to make a small smile, trying to be careful not to reveal too much about this boy. She had to be vague, even if that meant not getting closer to solving her problem. Shindou was quiet for a moment, before speaking up again.

''Does he have any idea of your feelings?'' He asked. There was a hint of urgency in his voice, but Akane missed it due to the situation being what it was.

''I'm pretty sure he doesn't. I recently found out that a lot of people do however…'' Akane's voice was even softer and quieter now. She wasn't sure how much she could reveal anymore.

Luckily for her, she didn't have to as after that answer, Shindou stepped away and turned away from her, clearly thinking about something. Akane took this time to recompose herself and try to calm her heart. She hadn't expected Shindou to come that close to her and she was glad that he wasn't so close to her anymore. Although she had to admit that she was also disappointed.

''I think I understand your problem…and I know how to solve it.'' Shindou said as he turned back around to face Akane again. Akane motioned for him to continue so he did. ''First, I want to ask you one more question. What do you think I think about when I perform the move?''

Akane thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to think about the possibility that he was thinking of a girl, so that really only left one option. ''Are you thinking about soccer?'' She asked, and just like with Kirino, this made Shindou laugh a bit.

''To be honest, when I first started practicing for this move, I thought about soccer. However, no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get it to work, even though I knew that soccer was something I loved and something that was important to me. Then I tried thinking of another thing and I started to get results.' Shindou kept a small pause there and only thing Akane could do was hope that the another thing wasn't an another girl. ''I thought about playing the piano.''

''Playing your piano?'' Akane repeated. She hadn't even considered that! True, Shindou was more known for his football abilities, but his piano playing was top-notch as well.

''I had been playing the piano ever since I was little. It started out as something that my parents wanted me to do, but I started to enjoy it little by little, until it became a part of my everyday life. Playing the piano is relaxing. I can forget all about the outside world and just focus on the piano and my playing. It gives me…harmony.'' When Shindou said that, Akane started to understand the problem as well, but she didn't want to interrupt him so she let him explain to the end. ''Back then, I wasn't sure why the move worked while I thought about playing the piano, instead of soccer. But with you, I think I'm finally sure. In order to pull of Olympus Harmony, you need to think about something that makes you perfectly calm and relaxed. Something that gives you harmony.'' To be fair, he wasn't sure if the importance and love were still necessary, but even if they were, he felt that they took a backseat next to those.

''I see…' Akane said and thought about it and it made perfect sense. She couldn't stay completely calm or relaxed around Shindou no matter what she did and her fear of rejection meant that harmony was as far away from her as possible. No wonder she couldn't pull the move off.

''When I started practicing and developing the move, soccer was still under Fifth Sector's control. As such, you can probably understand why I couldn't perform the move while thinking of soccer.'' Shindou said with a sad smile on his face. He didn't like thinking back to when Fifth Sector was in control. It only brought up bad memories. ''Anyway, you obviously need to think of something else to perform this move. Can you think of anything fitting?'' He asked and Akane nodded pretty quickly. She didn't have to think about that one for long. ''Good. Let's continue training then.'' Like when they first started, Shindou took some steps away from Akane before running towards her.

''Here goes…'' Akane said to herself, still a little nervous. She closed her eyes and thought about the only thing that really made her feel at peace. Something that could always calm her and make her feel better, no matter what the situation. ''Olympus Harmony.'' She said and soon after opened her eyes. This time when she opened her eyes, the ball was still there and Shindou looked impressed, but not really all that distracted.

''You're glowing.'' Shindou said and at first Akane was little confused. She wasn't smiling that much was she? Then, after a while of looking around, she realized that the temple was not behind her after all, but her body was glowing just like Shindou's when he performed the move. It wasn't a complete success, but it was a great start. ''You look pretty like that.'' Shindou said, only realizing what he had said couple seconds after saying it. 'Umm….I mean…'' Shindou tried to explain, a small blush invading his cheeks as well.

''Thank you.'' Akane said while looking away with a blush and Shindou once again thought it was because she was embarrassed and felt bad for making things awkward.

''A-Anyway, let's continue practicing.'' Shindou said in an attempt to make things less awkward. It seemed to work as Akane smiled and nodded and so the two continued their training, unaware that their friends were watching and smiling.

''Aww, they were so close just then.'' Midori said, slightly disappointed that nothing had happened, at least not yet. Kirino gave her a strange look.

''I never thought you would care about romance.'' He said confused. Midori wasn't exactly a girly girl after all.

''I don't. I'm just happy for Akane for finally getting Shindou's attention. She really deserves it.'' She said, but this comment only made Kirino more confused.

''What do you mean by that?'' He asked, making Midori sigh. It was clear that it was not a comfortable subject to talk about.

''I'm not sure if I should tell you. It's kind of personal.'' She said while looking at Akane. Sure, she had already told some stuff about Akane to him, but this was starting to be stuff that Akane herself should tell. ''I can say that she was bullied a lot in elementary school.'' Kirino didn't want to pry any more to what was clearly a personal matter, so he just stayed quiet. He hated to admit it, but it wasn't all that difficult to imagine Akane being bullied. Shy and quiet makes for a perfect bully target. ''Anyway, it looks like Shindou is starting to fall for Akane, little by little.'' Midori said, now smiling a bit again. It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, not that Kirino minded.

''I agree and there's still plenty of practice to do. Who knows what will happen?'' Kirino said with a smile of his own. ''Well, at least now I know why I couldn't perform Olympus Harmony.'' He said and he could feel Midori staring at him so he decided to elaborate. ''FFIV2 is coming up and it's making every young footballer in the country nervous, including me There are so many talented players and only so many spots on the national team. I can't think about football right now without feeling at least a bit nervous or anxious.''

''I don't think you need to be nervous.'' Midori said while giving him thumbs up. ''Raimon has the best players in Japan. There's no way they won't take at least one defender from here…and you're the best defender we have.'' Kirino felt a bit odd to hear that from someone like Midori, but he appreciated it anyway.

''Thank you.''

Meanwhile, practice for the Olympus Harmony continued. There were no longer times when nothing happened, although there were plenty of times when Akane just started glowing, with no building appearing behind her. She was improving though, and that was all that really mattered. After about an hour of this, the two lied down on the grass to rest for a bit.

''You're doing great Akane.'' Shindou said with a small smile while looking at the sky. It was starting to be a bit late, but there was still plenty of time before it would be dark. Plenty of time to spend time together…practicing the move of course!

''Thank you. You're great too.'' She had gotten little more used to talking to Shindou. She was still a bit nervous and her heart kept beating pretty fast, but at least she wasn't a total nervous wreck. She stretched her arms out so they could rest on the grass as well, but while her right arm touched grass, her left arm touched something else entirely. It was warm, little bit soft and it felt like a perfect match to her hand. She wasn't sure what it was until…

''Umm…why are you holding my hand?'' Shindou asked, making Akane freeze. She turned her head to see that what Shindou was saying was correct. Their hands and fingers were intertwined and for a moment, the two just looked at their connected hands without saying or doing anything. Then Akane panicked and removed her hand and looked the other way.

''S-Sorry S-Shindou-Kun. I…I didn't meant to…I.'' Akane stammered out, turning back to the nervous wreck she was at the start of the practice. She had wanted to hold his hand of course and it really hurt her to let go, but she thought that Shindou wouldn't like her just grabbing his hand like that.

The first thing Shindou wanted to say was, it's okay, I really liked it and you can take my hand again, but then he decided against it. Saying that would just make things awkward so he only ended up saying…''It's okay, I'm not mad.'' But that wasn't entirely true. He was slightly mad after all. Akane had taken her hand away too quickly. It had felt so soft, so warm, so…so perfect. At this point, Shindou was having hard time denying facts anymore. Were Kirino and Coach Endou right? Was he really starting to have feelings for Akane? In any case, he needed to change the subject so things wouldn't get too awkward. ''So, what did you think about when you performed the move?'' Shindou asked curiously. He knew it wasn't a boy anymore, so what was it?

''Photographing.'' Akane said with a smile, sounding a lot less nervous. ''I love photographing and it always calms me down, no matter what the situation. Taking pictures is just so relaxing and fun. I have taken so many fantastic pictures that I have lost count.''

''I see…'' Shindou said. So just like him, she had chosen to think about a hobby she loves to do. Maybe they had more in common than he thought. ''So, when did you start photographing?'' Considering her excitement when she told about taking pictures, Shindou figured that she would answer this question quickly and happily as well. But instead, he was met with silence, silence that felt very heavy. ''Akane…?'' Shindou asked, turning to face her only to see that she was looking away from him while clutching her arms to her chest.

''I…I got a camera from my parents so I just started. That's all.'' Her voice was a bit shaky and nervous so it was obvious that she was lying about something. However, before Shindou could question her about it, she stood up, still not facing him. ''Sorry…I...I'm going to get some water.'' And with that, she walked to where Kirino and Midori were, leaving a confused Shindou lying on the grass. As soon as Akane reached the bench, Midori approached her.

''What happened? Did Shindou do something to upset you?'' Midori asked, ready to teach Shindou a lesson if he did. Sensing her best friend's hostility, Akane shook her head.

''No. Shin-Sama just asked when I started photographing. It's not his fault that he doesn't know…'' Akane said while avoiding eye contact. Midori still looked a bit mad so Akane continued. ''I'm not mad at Shin-Sama. So please don't be mad at him either.'' At this Midori sighed and nodded.

''Fine, but he'd better not do it again. I know you don't like talking about it.'' Akane just nodded, grabbed a water bottle and started to drink to refresh herself.

At this point, Shindou had also returned to the bench. He was still confused about what just happened, but decided that he shouldn't ask about it more. He didn't want to upset Akane any further after all. Kirino approached Shindou once he got there, he too was little confused.

''So, what happened?'' He asked as Shindou grabbed a water bottle and drank a little.

''I don't know. I just asked her when she started photographing and then she just stood up and left. It's probably something personal.'' Shindou said as he took another sip before setting the bottle down.

''I see…'' Kirino said as he began to think. He couldn't shake off the feeling that this had something to do with the bullying Midori mentioned. If that was so, it would explain why Akane didn't want to talk about it.

''Kirino?'' Shindou asked and caught Kirino off-guard. ''Do you have an idea as of why Akane acted like that?'' He asked and Kirino noticed that he sounded rather curious…even little desperate.

''No I don't.'' It was better this way. As Midori had said, Akane was the one who should tell about this and it was clear that she didn't want to talk about this…at least to Shindou. ''Anyway, you two looked pretty close there.'' Kirino said, wanting to talk about a happier topic for a change. There was a brief blush on Shindou's face when he said that, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

''Well we had to practice together Of course we looked close.'' Shindou said, denying that there was anything special between his and Akane's actions, but Kirino didn't look that convinced.

''Really? So holding her hand, wiping her tears away and staring at her like a love-struck fool was all part of the practice?'' Kirino asked with a rather amused grin as Shindou's face turned red again.

''I…I did not stare at Akane like that.'' He said, trying to keep his voice low so the girls wouldn't hear.

''But you don't deny staring at her?'' Kirino asked, his grin growing even wider as Shindou opened and closed his mouth multiple times, but never managing to say or think of something to fully rebut Kirino's argument. So he just ran his fingers through his hair frustrated.

''You've been spending too much time with Kariya. You hardly ever teased me before.''

''I didn't have a reason really. There's not much to tease you over. But I suppose I can't deny Kariya's influence.'' Kirino chuckled a little bit. The first-year could be annoying, but he couldn't deny the fact that it was fun to be around him at times. ''Anyway, since you're not denying any of that…Am I right to assume that you're starting to have feelings for Akane?'' Shindou was quiet for a while after the question, clearly thinking hard about it. Was there something?

''Well…'' Shindou was about to give his answer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Midori standing there with a confident smile on his face. ''What is it?''

''Since you and Akane are more or less finished with your training, how about we have a two versus two match?'' Midori suggested, surprising both boys and even Akane.

''A two versus two match?'' Shindou repeated. The idea was certainly intriguing…

''Yeah, me and Akane against you and Kirino. From what I saw, Akane pretty much has the Olympus Harmony down and what would be the best way to test it than with an actual match. Besides, I for one was bored to just stand around there and watch you two train. What do you guys think?''

Midori did bring up two good points and a match sounded like fun so there was no reason for Shindou to say no. ''That sounds like fun. We're in, right Kirino?'' Shindou asked as he looked at his best friend who nodded back eagerly. ''Is that fine with you Akane?'' Shindou asked, remembering her surprise from before, which meant that Midori had probably decided on this without asking her. Akane was little taken back, but she nodded anyway, making Midori smile.

''Great. Let's play some football then!'

….

Wow, looking back to this, pretty fluffy chapter. If you don't know what that means, it pretty much means that this chapter is adorable…at least in my opinion. I mean, all that stuff between Shindou and Akane in this chapter…

But maybe you think differently, which is why I want you to review if you liked, review if you didn't like!

Only one more chapter to go! At least, that's the plan. Considering my writing, it wouldn't be unusual if there were two more chapters. Well, I guess we'll see with the next update!


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